System and method of instantly previewing immersive content

ABSTRACT

A method is performed at a computing system for rendering a content preview in a virtual space based on user locations. The computing system is communicatively connected to a head-mounted display wore by a user. The method includes: rendering a user interface panel in the virtual space, wherein the user interface panel includes multiple content posters, each having a unique location in the virtual space; measuring the head-mounted display&#39;s location in a physical space using a position tracking system adjacent the user; determining the user&#39;s location in the virtual space according to the head-mounted display&#39;s location in the physical space; and in accordance with a determination that the user&#39;s location and at least one of the multiple content posters&#39; location in the virtual space satisfy a predefined condition, replacing the user interface panel with a content preview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of PCT/CN2017/088516,entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD OF INSTANTLY PREVIEWING IMMERSIVE CONTENT”filed on Jun. 15, 2017, which is incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

This application relates to U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______,entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD OF CONNECTING TWO DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTSUSING A HUB” (Attorney Docket No. 031384-5492-US), filed Oct. 1, 2019which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

This application relates to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/543,292,entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD OF CUSTOMIZING A USER INTERFACE PANEL BASEDON USER'S PHYSICAL SIZES”, filed Aug. 16, 2019 which is incorporated byreference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosed implementations relate generally to the field of computertechnologies, and in particular, to system and method of rendering acontent preview in a virtual space based on user locations.

BACKGROUND

Virtual reality (VR) is a computer technology that uses a head-mounteddisplay (HMD) worn by a user, sometimes in combination with a positiontracking system surrounding the user in the physical space, to generaterealistic images, sounds and other sensations that simulates the user'spresence in a virtual environment. A person using virtual realityequipment is able to immerse in the virtual world, and interact withvirtual features or items in many ways, including playing games or evenconducting surgeries remotely. HMD is often equipped with sensors forcollecting data such as the user's position and movement, etc. andtransceivers for communicating such data to a computer running a VRsystem and receiving new instructions and data from the computer so thatthe HMD can render the instructions and data to the user. Although VRtechnology has made a lot of progress recently, it is still relativelyyoung and faced with many challenges such as how to customize itsoperation for different users having different needs, how to create aseamless user experience when the user moves from one application toanother application in the virtual world, and how to switch between thereal world and the virtual world without adversely affecting the userexperience.

SUMMARY

Some objectives of the present application are to address the challengesraised above by presenting a set of solutions to improve a user'soverall experience of using a virtual reality system.

According to one aspect of the present application, a method isperformed at a computing system for rendering a content preview in avirtual space based on user locations. The computing system has one ormore processors, memory for storing programs to be executed by the oneor more processors and it is communicatively connected to a head-mounteddisplay wore by a user. The method includes the following steps:rendering a user interface panel in the virtual space, wherein the userinterface panel includes multiple content posters, each having a uniquelocation in the virtual space; measuring the head-mounted display'slocation in a physical space using a position tracking system adjacentthe user; determining the user's location in the virtual space accordingto the head-mounted display's location in the physical space; and inaccordance with a determination that the user's location and at leastone of the multiple content posters' location in the virtual spacesatisfy a predefined condition, replacing the user interface panel witha content preview associated with the corresponding content poster inthe virtual space.

According to another aspect of the present application, a computingsystem for rendering a content preview in a virtual space based on userlocations is communicatively connected to a head-mounted display wore bya user. The computing system includes one or more processors, memory,and a plurality of programs stored in the memory. The plurality ofprograms, when executed by the one or more processors, cause thecomputing system to perform one or more operations including: renderinga user interface panel in the virtual space, wherein the user interfacepanel includes multiple content posters, each having a unique locationin the virtual space; measuring the head-mounted display's location in aphysical space using a position tracking system adjacent the user;determining the user's location in the virtual space according to thehead-mounted display's location in the physical space; and in accordancewith a determination that the user's location and at least one of themultiple content posters' location in the virtual space satisfy apredefined condition, replacing the user interface panel with a contentpreview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtualspace.

According to yet another aspect of the present application, anon-transitory computer readable storage medium, in connection with acomputing system having one or more processors, stores a plurality ofprograms for rendering a content preview in a virtual space based onuser locations. The computing system is communicatively connected to ahead-mounted display wore by a user. The plurality of programs, whenexecuted by the one or more processors, cause the computing system toperform one or more operations including: rendering a user interfacepanel in the virtual space, wherein the user interface panel includesmultiple content posters, each having a unique location in the virtualspace; measuring the head-mounted display's location in a physical spaceusing a position tracking system adjacent the user; determining theuser's location in the virtual space according to the head-mounteddisplay's location in the physical space; and in accordance with adetermination that the user's location and at least one of the multiplecontent posters' location in the virtual space satisfy a predefinedcondition, replacing the user interface panel with a content previewassociated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The aforementioned implementation of the invention as well as additionalimplementations will be more clearly understood as a result of thefollowing detailed description of the various aspects of the inventionwhen taken in conjunction with the drawings. Like reference numeralsrefer to corresponding parts throughout the several views of thedrawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a virtual reality environmentincluding a virtual reality system and multiple devices that arecommunicatively connected to the virtual reality system according tosome implementations of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a position tracking system of thevirtual reality system according to some implementations of the presentapplication;

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of different components of acomputing system for implementing the virtual reality system accordingto some implementations of the present application;

FIGS. 4A and 4B depict a process performed by the virtual reality systemfor customizing a user interface panel of a virtual space based on userlocations according to some implementations of the present application;

FIGS. 5A and 5B depict a process performed by the virtual reality systemfor rendering a content preview in a virtual space based on userlocations according to some implementations of the present application;and

FIGS. 6A and 6B depict a process performed by the virtual reality systemfor updating an operation setting of a virtual space according to someimplementations of the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The description of the following implementations refers to theaccompanying drawings, so as to illustrate specific implementations thatmay be implemented by the present application. Direction terminologiesmentioned in the present application, such as “upper”, “lower”, “front”,“rear”, “left”, “right”, “inner”, “outer”, “side” are only used asreference of the direction of the accompany drawings. Therefore, theused direction terminology is only used to explain and understand thepresent application, rather than to limit the present application. Inthe figure, units with similar structures are represented in samereference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a virtual reality environmentincluding a virtual reality system and multiple devices that arecommunicatively connected to the virtual reality system according tosome implementations of the present application. In this example, thevirtual reality system includes a computing system 10 that iscommunicatively connected to a head-mounted display (HMD) 10-1, ahand-held remote control 10-2, and input/output devices 10-3. In someimplementations, the HMD 10-1 is connected to the computing system 10through one or more electrical wires; in some other implementations, thetwo sides are connected to each other via a wireless communicationchannel supported by proprietary protocols or standard protocols such asWi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), etc. In someimplementations, the computing system 10 is primarily responsible forgenerating the virtual reality environment including contents renderedin the virtual reality environment and sending data associated with thevirtual reality environment to the HMD 10-1 for rendering suchenvironment to a user wearing the HMD 10-1. In some otherimplementations, the data from the computing system 10 is not fullyready for rendition by the HMD 10-1. Rather, the HMD 10-1 is responsiblefor further processing the data into something that can be viewed andinteracted by the user wearing the HMD 10-1. In other words, thesoftware supporting the present application may be all concentrated atone device (e.g., the computing system 10 or the HMD 10-1) ordistributed among multiple pieces of hardware. But one skilled in theart would understand that the subsequent description of the presentapplication is for illustrative purpose only and should not be construedto impose any limitation to the scope of the present application in anymanner.

In some implementations, the handheld remote control 10-2 is connectedto at least one of the HMD 10-1 and the computing system 10 in a wiredor wireless manner. The remote control 10-2 may include one or moresensors for interacting with the HMD 10-1 or the computing system 10,e.g., providing its position and orientation (which are collectivelyreferred to as the location of the remote control 10-2). The user canpress buttons on the remote control 10-2 or move the remote control 10-2in a predefined manner to issue instructions to the computing system 10or the HMD 10-1 or both. As noted above, the software supporting for thevirtual reality system may be distributed among the computing system 10and the HMD 10-1. Therefore, both hardware may need to know the currentlocation of the remote control 10-2 and maybe its movement pattern forrendering the virtual reality environment correctly. In some otherimplementations, the remote control 10-2 is directly connected to thecomputing system 10 or the HMD 10-1, e.g., the HMD 10-1, but not both.In this case, the user instruction entered through the remote control10-2 is first received by the HMD 10-1 and then forwarded to thecomputing system 10 via the communication channel between the two sides.

With the arrival of Internet Of Things (IOT), more and more electricdevices in a household are connected together. As shown in FIG. 1, thevirtual reality system 1 is also communicatively connected to aplurality of devices in the household. For example, the user may chooseto connect his/her mobile phone 20-1 or other wearable devices to thecomputing system 10 so that he will be able to receive incoming calls ormessages when playing with the virtual reality system. In someimplementations, the computing system 10 is communicatively connected toone or more home appliances in the same household, e.g., refrigerator20-2, fire or smoke detector 20-3, microwave 20-4, or thermostat 20-5,etc. By connecting these home appliances to the computing system 10, itis possible for the user of the virtual reality system to receive alertsor messages from one or more of these home appliances. For example, theuser may play a game using the virtual reality system while using arange to cook food. The range is communicatively connected to thecomputing system 10 via a short-range wireless connection (e.g.,Bluetooth) such that an alert signal is sent to the computing system 10and rendered to the user through the HMD 10-1 when the cookware on therange is overheated and may cause a potential fire to the household. Aswill be described below, such capability is especially desired when thevirtual reality system is providing more and more near-reality,immersive experience and it is becoming easier and easier for the userto forget his surrounding environment. Although a few devices aredepicted in FIG. 1, one skilled in the art would understand that theyare only for illustrative purposes and many other devices may beconnected to the virtual reality system.

In some implementations, the HMD 10-1 is configured to operate in apredefined space (e.g., 5×5 square meters) to determine the location(including position and orientation) of the HMD 10-1. To implement thisposition tracking feature, the HMD 10-1 has one or more sensorsincluding a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope,accelerometer and laser position sensors, which are communicativelyconnected to a plurality of monitors located within a short distancefrom the HMD in different directions for determining its own positionand orientation. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a positiontracking system of the virtual reality system according to someimplementations of the present application. In this example, four“lighthouse” base stations 10-4 are deployed at four different locationsfor tracking the user's movement with sub-millimeter precision. Theposition tracking system uses multiple photosensors on any object thatneeds to be captured. Two or more lighthouse stations sweep structuredlight lasers within the space in which the HMD 10-1 operates to avoidocclusion problems. One skilled in the art understands that there areother position tracking technologies that can be used for tracking themovement of the HMD 10-1, e.g., inertial tracking, acoustic tracking,magnetic tracking, etc.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of different components of acomputing system 10 for implementing the virtual reality systemaccording to some implementations of the present application. Thecomputing system 10 includes one or more processors 302 for executingmodules, programs and/or instructions stored in memory 312 and therebyperforming predefined operations; one or more network or othercommunications interfaces 310; memory 312; and one or more communicationbuses 314 for interconnecting these components together andinterconnecting the computing system 10 to the head-mounted display10-1, the remote control 10-2, the position tracking system includingmultiple monitors 10-4, and various devices. In some implementations,the computing system 300 includes a user interface 304 comprising adisplay device 308 and one or more input devices 306 (e.g., keyboard ormouse or touch screen). In some implementations, the memory 312 includeshigh-speed random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, or other randomaccess solid state memory devices. In some implementations, memory 312includes non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storagedevices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or othernon-volatile solid state storage devices. In some implementations,memory 312 includes one or more storage devices remotely located fromthe processor(s) 302. Memory 312, or alternately one or more storagedevices (e.g., one or more nonvolatile storage devices) within memory312, includes a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. In someimplementations, memory 312 or the computer readable storage medium ofmemory 312 stores the following programs, modules and data structures,or a subset thereof:

an operating system 316 that includes procedures for handling variousbasic system services and for performing hardware dependent tasks;

a network communications module 318 that is used for connecting thecomputing system 10 to other computing devices (e.g., the HMD 10-1, theremote control 10-2, and the devices shown in FIG. 1 as well as themonitors 10-4 depicted in FIG. 2) via the communication networkinterfaces 310 and one or more communication networks (wired orwireless), such as the Internet, other wide area networks, local areanetworks, metropolitan area networks, etc.;

a user interface adjustment module 320 for adjusting a user interfacepanel in the virtual reality environment generated by the virtualreality system, the user interface panel being similar to the homescreen of a computer system or a mobile phone with which a user caninteract and choose virtual content or applications to be rendered inthe virtual space and, in some implementations, the user interface panelhas a default position 322 defined by the virtual system, which iscustomized by the user interface adjust module 320 based on the user'sposition in the virtual space (which is determined by the virtualreality system according to the head-mounted display's physical positionmeasured by the position tracking system);

a user position tracking module 324 for determining the current locationof the user in the virtual space defined by the virtual reality systemand tracking the movement of the user in the virtual space, and in someimplementations, the user's virtual position 328 in the virtual space isdetermined based on the head-mounted display's physical position 326 inthe physical space as determined by the position tracking system, and insome implementations, a continuous tracking of the user's movement inthe virtual space defines a movement pattern by the user forinterpreting the user's intent;

a global hub system 330 for switching the user's experience between thevirtual world and the real world, the global hub system 330 including asee-through camera module 332 for activating, e.g., a see-through camerabuilt into the head-mounted display 10-1 to project images captured bythe camera onto the screen of the head-mounted display such that theuser can quickly switch to the real world to handle certain matterswithout having to remove the head-mounted display from his/her head, avirtual reality launcher 334 for launching, e.g., the user interfacepanel in front of the user in the virtual space so that the user canchoose one of the virtual content or applications for rendition usingthe virtual reality system, and a virtual reality render engine 336 forrendering the user-selected content or application in the virtual space;and

a content database 338 for hosting various virtual content andapplications to be visualized in the virtual space, and in someimplementations, the content database 338 further includes a contentpreview 342 in connection with a full content 342 such that the user canvisualize the content preview 342 in a more intuitive manner withoutactivating the full content 342.

Having described the hardware of the virtual reality system andfunctionalities of some software running on the virtual reality system,the rest of this application is directed to three specific features ofthe virtual reality system that overcomes the issues found in today'svirtual reality applications.

In particular, FIGS. 4A and 4B depict a process performed by the virtualreality system for customizing a user interface panel of a virtual spacebased on user locations according to some implementations of the presentapplication. Because different users have different heights, differenthead shapes, different eyesight and different habits when watching thesame subject, there is no guarantee that the default position andorientation of the user interface panel of the same HMD is a good fitfor different users. According to the process shown in FIG. 4A, thevirtual reality system customizes the user interface panel's location toachieve optimized locations for different users automatically withoutany explicit user input or semi-automatically based on use's response.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the computing system first generates (410) avirtual space for the virtual reality system. This virtual spaceincludes a user interface panel having a default location in the virtualspace. Next, the computing system renders (420) the virtual space in thehead-mounted display. In some implementations, the default location isdetermined based on an average person's height, head size, and eyesight.As noted above, the default location may not be an optimized locationfor a particular user wearing the head-mounted display.

To find the optimized location for the particular user, the computingsystem measures (430) the head-mounted display's location in a physicalspace using a position tracking system adjacent the user. As noted abovein connection with FIG. 2, the position tracking system defines aphysical space and measures the movement of the head-mounted display (ormore specifically, the sensors in the head-mounted display) within thephysical space.

After measuring the physical location, the computing system determines(440) the user's location in the virtual space according to thehead-mounted display's location in the physical space. Next, thecomputing system updates (450) the user interface panel's defaultlocation in the virtual space in accordance with the user's location inthe virtual space. Because the computing system has taken into accountof the user's actual size and height, the updated location of the userinterface panel can be a better fit for the particular user than thedefault one.

In some implementations, the computing system updates the user interfacepanel's location by measuring (450-1) a spatial relationship between theuser interface panel's location and the user's location in the virtualspace and then estimating (450-3) a field of view of the user in thevirtual space according to the measured spatial relationship. Next thecomputing system adjusts (450-5) the user interface panel's defaultlocation to a current location according to the estimated field of viewof the user such that user interface panel's current location issubstantially within the estimated field of view of the user.

In some implementations, the computing system uses the position trackingsystem to detect (450-11) a movement of the head-mounted display in thephysical space and then determines (450-13) the user's current locationin the virtual space according to the head-mounted display's movement inthe physical space. To do so, the virtual reality system establishes amapping relationship between the physical space and the virtual space,the mapping relationship including one or more of a translation andrelationship of the coordinate system from the physical space to thevirtual space. Next the computing system updates (450-15) the spatialrelationship between the user interface panel's current location and theuser's current location in the virtual space, updates (450-17) the fieldof view of the user according to the updated spatial relationship, andupdates (450-19) the current location of the user interface panel in thevirtual space according to the updated field of view of the user. Insome implementations, the computing system may perform the processrepeatedly until an optimized location of the user interface panel isfound.

In some implementations, the distance of the current location of theuser interface panel relative to the user in the virtual space isupdated according to the updated field of view of the user. In someimplementations, the orientation of the user interface panel relative tothe user in the virtual space is updated according to the updated fieldof view of the user. In some implementations, the computing systemdetects a movement of the head-mounted display in the physical space bymeasuring a direction of the movement of the head-mounted display in thephysical space, a magnitude of the movement of the head-mounted displayin the physical space, a trace of the movement of the head-mounteddisplay in the physical space, and/or a frequency of the movement of thehead-mounted display in the physical space.

FIG. 4B depicts different scenarios of how the user interface panel iscustomized 460-3 to find an optimized location. When the user puts onthe head-mounted display and starts interacting with the user interfacepanel 460 having a default user panel location 460-1 in the virtualreality system, the virtual reality system monitors the user's movement460-5. For example, if the default location is too close to the user,the user may consciously or subconsciously move back or lean back toincrease the distance to the user interface panel. Conversely, if theuser feels that the user interface panel is too far away, the user maymove forward or lean forward to reduce the distance to the userinterface panel. In accordance with a detection of a corresponding usermovement, the computing system may increase 470-1 the distance betweenthe user and the user interface panel or decrease 470-3 the distancebetween the user and the user interface panel.

Similarly, when the user raises his head or lowers his head whilewearing the head-mounted display, the computing system may adjust theheight of the user interface panel by lifting 475-1 the user interfacepanel upward or pushing 475-3 the user interface panel downward toaccommodate the user's location and preference. When the user wearingthe head-mounted display tilts his head forward or back, the computingsystem may tilt the user interface panel forward 480-1 or back 480-3.When the user wearing the head-mounted display rotates his head towardthe left or right, the computing system may slide the user interfacepanel sideway to left 485-1 or right 485-3. In some implementations, themagnitude of the user panel location's adjustment is proportional to theuser's head movement. In some other implementations, the magnitude ofthe user panel location's adjustment triggered by each user's headmovement is constant and the computing system adjusts the userinterface's location multiple times, each by a constant movement, basedon the frequency of the user's head movement.

FIGS. 5A and 5B depict a process performed by the virtual reality systemfor rendering a content preview in a virtual space based on the user'slocations according to some implementations of the present application.This process detects the user's true intent based on the user's locationand movement and acts accordingly without necessarily requiring anexplicit action by the user, e.g., pressing a certain button on theremote control 10-2.

First, the computing system renders (510) a user interface panel in thevirtual space. As shown in FIG. 5B, the user interface panel 562includes multiple content posters, each having a unique location in thevirtual space. Next the computing system measures (520) the head-mounteddisplay's location in a physical space using a position tracking systemadjacent the user and determines (530) the user's location in thevirtual space according to the head-mounted display's location in thephysical space. As shown in FIG. 5B, the position tracking engine 565measures the head-mounted display's location 560 and converts it intothe user's location in the virtual space relative to the user interfacepanel 562. In accordance with a determination that the user's locationand at least one of the multiple content posters' location in thevirtual space satisfy a predefined condition, the computing systemreplaces (540) the user interface panel with a content previewassociated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space.For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the user's location in thevirtual space is determined to be the same as the location of the GreatWall poster in the virtual space 570, the rending engine 580 retrievesthe content preview 575-1 of the Great Wall from the content database575 and renders the content preview in the head-mounted display 560.

In some implementations, the predefined condition is satisfied (540-1)when the user is behind the corresponding content poster in the virtualspace for at least a predefined amount of time. In some otherimplementations, the predefined condition is no longer satisfied whenthe user exists from the corresponding content poster in the virtualspace for at least a predefined amount of time. In some implementations,the computing system detects (530-1) a movement of the head-mounteddisplay in the physical space and updates (530-3) the user's location inthe virtual space according to the head-mounted display's movement inthe physical space.

In some implementations, while rendering the content preview associatedwith the corresponding content poster in the virtual space, thecomputing system continuously updates (550-1) the user's currentlocation in the virtual space according to a current location of thehead-mounted display in the physical space. As a result, in accordancewith a determination that the user's current location and thecorresponding content poster's location in the virtual space no longersatisfy the predefined condition, the computing system replaces (550-3)the content preview associated with the corresponding content posterwith the user interface panel in the virtual space. In some otherimplementations, in accordance with a determination that the user'scurrent location and the corresponding content poster's location in thevirtual space satisfy the predefined condition for at least a predefinedamount of time, the computing system replaces (550-5) the contentpreview associated with the corresponding content poster with a fullview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtualspace. In yet some other implementations, in accordance with adetermination that the user's movement in the virtual space satisfies apredefined movement pattern, the computing system replaces (550-7) thecontent preview associated with the corresponding content poster with afull view associated with the corresponding content poster in thevirtual space. As shown in FIG. 5B, it is assumed that the user hasaccepted 585 to access the full view of the Great Wall content (e.g.,when one of the two conditions described above is met), the renderingengine 580 of the virtual reality system then retrieves the full view ofthe Great Wall content and renders it in the head-mounted display 560.

FIGS. 6A and 6B depict a process performed by the virtual reality systemfor updating an operation setting of a virtual space according to someimplementations of the present application. This process addresses theissue of how to “interrupt” the user's immersive experience in thevirtual world when there is a message or alert from a device arriving atthe virtual reality system.

First, the computing system renders (610) an application in the virtualspace in accordance with a current location of the user in the virtualspace. As described above, the user's current location in the virtualspace is determined according to the head-mounted display's location inthe physical space measured using a position tracking system adjacentthe user.

Next, the computing system receives (620) an alert from a device that iscommunicatively connected to the computing system. As described above inconnection with FIG. 1, the device may be a mobile phone or a homeappliance or an IOT device that is connected to the computing system 10via a short-range wireless connection. As shown in FIG. 6B, while theuser is interacting with the virtual content 665 via the head-mounteddisplay 660, the global hub system 650 of the virtual reality systemreceives an alert from a mobile phone that is connected to the virtualreality system.

In response, the computing system generates (630) and displays an iconrepresenting the alert in the virtual space in a manner that is visuallydistinguishable from the application and uniquely associated with thealert. In some implementations, the icon includes (630-1) an image ofthe device and is displayed at the center of a field of view of the userin the virtual space. For example, the device may be a mobile phone thatis communicatively connected to the computing system and the alertcorresponds to one selected from the group consisting of receiving a newcall from another person at the mobile phone, receiving a new messagefrom another person at the mobile phone, receiving an appointmentreminder at the mobile phone. As shown in FIG. 6B, a text message 665-1is displayed at the center of the virtual content 665 indicating thatthere is an incoming call to the user from his mother.

Next, in accordance with detecting a response from the user to the icon,the computing system replaces (640) the application in the virtual spacewith an operation setting associated with the alert and the device. Insome implementations, the response indicates that the user is going toanswer the alert. Accordingly, the computing system pauses (640-1) theapplication in the virtual space, activates (640-3) a see-through cameraon the head-mounted display, and presents (640-7) views captured by thesee-through camera on a screen of the head-mounted display.

In some other implementations, the first response indicates that theuser is likely to answer the alert. In this case, the computing systempauses (640-1) the application in the virtual space and displays (640-5)an operation switch panel in the virtual space, the operation switchpanel including an option of interacting with the device in the virtualspace, an option of returning to a home screen of the virtual space, anoption of resuming the application in the virtual space. As shown inFIG. 6B, the see-through camera 670-3 allows the user to respond to theincoming call without having to remove the head-mounted display 660 fromhis head. As shown in FIG. 6B, after detecting the user's response 670,the global hub system 650 presents three options to the user, includingrendering the virtual reality content 670-1, turning on the see-throughcamera 670-3 in the head-mounted display 660, allowing the user torespond to the incoming call without having to remove the head-mounteddisplay 660 from his head, or activating the virtual reality launcher670-5.

While particular implementations are described above, it will beunderstood it is not intended to limit the invention to these particularimplementations. On the contrary, the invention includes alternatives,modifications and equivalents that are within the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims. Numerous specific details are set forth in order toprovide a thorough understanding of the subject matter presented herein.But it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that thesubject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In otherinstances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits havenot been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspectsof the implementations.

Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describevarious elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms.These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. Forexample, first ranking criteria could be termed second ranking criteria,and, similarly, second ranking criteria could be termed first rankingcriteria, without departing from the scope of the present application.First ranking criteria and second ranking criteria are both rankingcriteria, but they are not the same ranking criteria.

The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is forthe purpose of describing particular implementations only and is notintended to be limiting of the invention. As used in the description ofthe invention and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and“the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless thecontext clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that theterm “and/or” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and allpossible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Itwill be further understood that the terms “includes,” “including,”“comprises,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification,specify the presence of stated features, operations, elements, and/orcomponents, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or moreother features, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

As used herein, the term “if” may be construed to mean “when” or “upon”or “in response to determining” or “in accordance with a determination”or “in response to detecting,” that a stated condition precedent istrue, depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase “if it isdetermined [that a stated condition precedent is true]” or “if [a statedcondition precedent is true]” or “when [a stated condition precedent istrue]” may be construed to mean “upon determining” or “in response todetermining” or “in accordance with a determination” or “upon detecting”or “in response to detecting” that the stated condition precedent istrue, depending on the context.

Although some of the various drawings illustrate a number of logicalstages in a particular order, stages that are not order dependent may bereordered and other stages may be combined or broken out. While somereordering or other groupings are specifically mentioned, others will beobvious to those of ordinary skill in the art and so do not present anexhaustive list of alternatives. Moreover, it should be recognized thatthe stages could be implemented in hardware, firmware, software or anycombination thereof.

The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has beendescribed with reference to specific implementations. However, theillustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modificationsand variations are possible in view of the above teachings. Theimplementations were chosen and described in order to best explainprinciples of the invention and its practical applications, to therebyenable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention andvarious implementations with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. Implementations include alternatives,modifications and equivalents that are within the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims. Numerous specific details are set forth in order toprovide a thorough understanding of the subject matter presented herein.But it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that thesubject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In otherinstances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits havenot been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspectsof the implementations.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of rendering a content preview in avirtual space based on user locations, the method comprising: at acomputing system having one or more processors, memory for storingprograms to be executed by the one or more processors, wherein thecomputing system is communicatively connected to a head-mounted displaywore by a user: rendering a user interface panel in the virtual space,wherein the user interface panel includes multiple content posters, eachhaving a unique location in the virtual space; measuring thehead-mounted display's location in a physical space using a positiontracking system adjacent the user; determining the user's location inthe virtual space according to the head-mounted display's location inthe physical space; and in accordance with a determination that theuser's location and at least one of the multiple content posters'location in the virtual space satisfy a predefined condition, replacingthe user interface panel with a content preview associated with thecorresponding content poster in the virtual space.
 2. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising: while rendering the contentpreview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtualspace: continuously updating the user's current location in the virtualspace according to a current location of the head-mounted display in thephysical space; and in accordance with a determination that the user'scurrent location and the corresponding content poster's location in thevirtual space no longer satisfy the predefined condition, replacing thecontent preview associated with the corresponding content poster withthe user interface panel in the virtual space.
 3. The method accordingto claim 1, wherein the predefined condition is satisfied when the useris behind the corresponding content poster in the virtual space for atleast a predefined amount of time.
 4. The method according to claim 3,wherein the predefined condition is no longer satisfied when the userexists from the corresponding content poster in the virtual space for atleast a predefined amount of time.
 5. The method according to claim 1,wherein the operation of determining the user's location in the virtualspace according to the head-mounted display's location in the physicalspace further includes: detecting a movement of the head-mounted displayin the physical space; and updating the user's location in the virtualspace according to the head-mounted display's movement in the physicalspace.
 6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: whilerendering the content preview associated with the corresponding contentposter in the virtual space: continuously updating the user's currentlocation in the virtual space according to a current location of thehead-mounted display in the physical space; and in accordance with adetermination that the user's current location and the correspondingcontent poster's location in the virtual space satisfy the predefinedcondition for at least a predefined amount of time, replacing thecontent preview associated with the corresponding content poster with afull view associated with the corresponding content poster in thevirtual space.
 7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:while rendering the content preview associated with the correspondingcontent poster in the virtual space: continuously monitoring the user'smovement in the virtual space according to a movement of thehead-mounted display in the physical space; and in accordance with adetermination that the user's movement in the virtual space satisfies apredefined movement pattern, replacing the content preview associatedwith the corresponding content poster with a full view associated withthe corresponding content poster in the virtual space.
 8. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the position tracking system includes aplurality of monitors and the head-mounted display includes one or moresensors that communicate with the plurality of monitors for determiningthe head-mounted display's location in the physical space.
 9. Acomputing system for rendering a content preview in a virtual spacebased on user locations, wherein the computing system is communicativelyconnected to a head-mounted display wore by a user, the computing systemcomprising: one or more processors; memory; and a plurality of programsstored in the memory, wherein the plurality of programs, when executedby the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform oneor more operations including: rendering a user interface panel in thevirtual space, wherein the user interface panel includes multiplecontent posters, each having a unique location in the virtual space;measuring the head-mounted display's location in a physical space usinga position tracking system adjacent the user; determining the user'slocation in the virtual space according to the head-mounted display'slocation in the physical space; and in accordance with a determinationthat the user's location and at least one of the multiple contentposters' location in the virtual space satisfy a predefined condition,replacing the user interface panel with a content preview associatedwith the corresponding content poster in the virtual space.
 10. Thecomputing system according to claim 9, wherein the one or moreoperations further comprises operations for: while rendering the contentpreview associated with the corresponding content poster in the virtualspace: continuously updating the user's current location in the virtualspace according to a current location of the head-mounted display in thephysical space; and in accordance with a determination that the user'scurrent location and the corresponding content poster's location in thevirtual space no longer satisfy the predefined condition, replacing thecontent preview associated with the corresponding content poster withthe user interface panel in the virtual space.
 11. The computing systemaccording to claim 9, wherein the predefined condition is satisfied whenthe user is behind the corresponding content poster in the virtual spacefor at least a predefined amount of time.
 12. The computing systemaccording to claim 11, wherein the predefined condition is no longersatisfied when the user exists from the corresponding content poster inthe virtual space for at least a predefined amount of time.
 13. Thecomputing system according to claim 9, wherein the operation ofdetermining the user's location in the virtual space according to thehead-mounted display's location in the physical space further includes:detecting a movement of the head-mounted display in the physical space;and updating the user's location in the virtual space according to thehead-mounted display's movement in the physical space.
 14. The computingsystem according to claim 9, wherein the one or more operations furthercomprises operations for: while rendering the content preview associatedwith the corresponding content poster in the virtual space: continuouslyupdating the user's current location in the virtual space according to acurrent location of the head-mounted display in the physical space; andin accordance with a determination that the user's current location andthe corresponding content poster's location in the virtual space satisfythe predefined condition for at least a predefined amount of time,replacing the content preview associated with the corresponding contentposter with a full view associated with the corresponding content posterin the virtual space.
 15. The computing system according to claim 9,wherein the one or more operations further comprises operations for:while rendering the content preview associated with the correspondingcontent poster in the virtual space: continuously monitoring the user'smovement in the virtual space according to a movement of thehead-mounted display in the physical space; and in accordance with adetermination that the user's movement in the virtual space satisfies apredefined movement pattern, replacing the content preview associatedwith the corresponding content poster with a full view associated withthe corresponding content poster in the virtual space.
 16. Anon-transitory computer readable storage medium in connection with acomputing system having one or more processors for rendering a contentpreview in a virtual space based on user locations, wherein thecomputing system is communicatively connected to a head-mounted displaywore by a user, and the non-transitory computer readable storage mediumstores a plurality of programs that, when executed by the one or moreprocessors, cause the computing system to perform one or more operationsincluding: rendering a user interface panel in the virtual space,wherein the user interface panel includes multiple content posters, eachhaving a unique location in the virtual space; measuring thehead-mounted display's location in a physical space using a positiontracking system adjacent the user; determining the user's location inthe virtual space according to the head-mounted display's location inthe physical space; and in accordance with a determination that theuser's location and at least one of the multiple content posters'location in the virtual space satisfy a predefined condition, replacingthe user interface panel with a content preview associated with thecorresponding content poster in the virtual space.
 17. Thenon-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 16,wherein the one or more operations further comprises operations for:while rendering the content preview associated with the correspondingcontent poster in the virtual space: continuously updating the user'scurrent location in the virtual space according to a current location ofthe head-mounted display in the physical space; and in accordance with adetermination that the user's current location and the correspondingcontent poster's location in the virtual space no longer satisfy thepredefined condition, replacing the content preview associated with thecorresponding content poster with the user interface panel in thevirtual space.
 18. The non-transitory computer readable storage mediumaccording to claim 16, wherein the operation of determining the user'slocation in the virtual space according to the head-mounted display'slocation in the physical space further includes: detecting a movement ofthe head-mounted display in the physical space; and updating the user'slocation in the virtual space according to the head-mounted display'smovement in the physical space.
 19. The non-transitory computer readablestorage medium according to claim 16, wherein the one or more operationsfurther comprises operations for: while rendering the content previewassociated with the corresponding content poster in the virtual space:continuously updating the user's current location in the virtual spaceaccording to a current location of the head-mounted display in thephysical space; and in accordance with a determination that the user'scurrent location and the corresponding content poster's location in thevirtual space satisfy the predefined condition for at least a predefinedamount of time, replacing the content preview associated with thecorresponding content poster with a full view associated with thecorresponding content poster in the virtual space.
 20. Thenon-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 16,wherein the one or more operations further comprises operations for:while rendering the content preview associated with the correspondingcontent poster in the virtual space: continuously monitoring the user'smovement in the virtual space according to a movement of thehead-mounted display in the physical space; and in accordance with adetermination that the user's movement in the virtual space satisfies apredefined movement pattern, replacing the content preview associatedwith the corresponding content poster with a full view associated withthe corresponding content poster in the virtual space.